Kmart OFFICIALLY PHASING OUT GAMES SECTION. 20% Off Games Accessories! Clearance DEALS INSIDE! Post your finds here!

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CAGiversary!
EDIT - If you see any deals in your local Kmart post it in this thread. Spread the love. This post is no longer being curated so check the last post for YMMV local deals. 

20% OFF SALE ON NOW UNTIL THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE. (*Gwarr... Brains...*)

NOTICE

I am no longer affiliated with Kmart, so this isn't getting any future updates. Stay tuned to the latest post in the comment section. THANKS!

I looked into the plan for this fire-sale, and apparently they'll be rolling out clearance deals for the whole section. So 20% off, then 50%, or whatever comes to pass. Looks like different regions are getting different sales sooner than others, as well as higher volume stores getting different sales than lower ones. IF YOU HAVE INSIDE INFO, POST IN THIS THREAD SO CAGS IN YOUR AREA CAN GET A HEADS UP.

TIPS & TRICKS

  • All deals are YMMV.
  • Kmart bases it's clearance on how long an item has been in stock. It takes a few weeks, but even the most expensive items go on clearance.
  • ALWAYS ASK SOMEONE TO SCAN AN ITEM FOR YOU. Most older games are on clearance, but have not been labeled as such.
  • Lookout for "penny items", items that have been on shelf for so long they've been clearanced down to 0.01. They won't sell for that, but it's a great way to get GTA IV for $2.00, for example.
  • TAKE A PICTURE AND PRICE MATCH.  For Walmart and other retailers, this is all they need to price match. Make sure the label is clearly visible and don't forget to post it here and share the love. 
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Background Info
So I am an employee of Kmart and happened to see this memo pass through my local store. I can't repeat it verbatim, and I couldn't get a picture of the message due to being constantly on camera.

Basically the memo stated the "exit strategy" for the games section in retail stores. Stating that this was in essence brought on by having overstocked shelves (bwa hahaha) and not enough customers. However Kmart.com, Sears.com, and Shopyourwayrewards.com, would continue to sell games and consoles to meet peoples needs. So they're switching focus from retail to online.

The message continued to explain to sell down merch and fill the empty space with other merch. Eventually to clearance out the whole section if it didn't sell down.

So firstly, wait. Just wait and deals will come.

As a customer I have to say that Kmart has had nothing but crappy deals for the past few years. (On games) Focusing on SYWR points and mediocre sales to bring in customers rather than staying competitive with Amazon, Walmart, and pretty much any retailer that will actually give a deep discount. Therefore they have shot themselves in the foot and driven away most business. As a result of that they face what I call "the burger problem".

When Kmart doesn't get games in to sell, they can't sell them. But instead of getting more stock I guess they just say "X person doesn't want Y game". This is just like a survey of a small town saying no one in the town likes burgers, because no one eats burgers. Only to find out there is nowhere to eat burgers in the first place.

Why doesn't Kmart get games to sell? I don't know if Kmart as a whole does this, or just my store, but we don't get games on a truck. We get them in sporadically via UPS, and never before release date. We get limited quantities and then get restocks oddly. Over the holidays I got dozens of calls for titles we wouldn't get in for weeks. During Christmas we only got a handful of Xbox Ones and no PS4s, and since then only one Wii U and one 3DS XL, which may have been returns. In short they could be making money, but there is just some really bad policies in place that leave plenty of customers walking out the door. 

Then on top of that we barely make any money in markup. We buy games basically at cost, given only a few dollars. I've seen games we bought for 58.50 selling for $60. Same for all peripherals, a 20 charger may have costed 12 for us. I was really shocked about this when I first started looking into it. Whereas other sections of the store have a markup that's understandable. 

So now after all this poor management, they're getting rid of what has always been the best part of the electronics section - games. I remember there being something said about "better serving our customer's needs", the problem in the first place was that they didn't serve our needs. For the most part they were poorly stocked, AND THIS HAS KILLED THEM THE MOST.
 ________________________________________________________________________

YMMV DEALS -  Post below if you find a deal in your area! Post here if you find a deal in your area! 

:360: Xbox 360 DEALS  :360:

Select titles 20+% off

:xb1: Xbox One Deals  :xb1:

Select titles 20+% off

________________________________________________________________________

 
:ps3: PS3 DEALS  :ps3:

Select titles 20+% off

:ps4: PS4 DEALS  :ps4:

Select titles 20+% off

:vita: VITA DEALS  :vita:

Select titles 20+% off

________________________________________________________________________

 
:wiiu: Wii U / Wii DEALS  :wii:

20%off

:3ds: 3DS / DS DEALS  :ds:

3DS XL - @190 @ 20%off

________________________________________________________________________

 
[+..••] Accessories DEALS [+..••]

Afterglow Universal Headset - $30

:xb1: Xbox One Charge Kit - $20

Giotek EX-05 Universal Headset - $20

Thanks again. Remember to post your deals in the comment section.  :)

EDIT - KMART CLEARANCE 2.1 thread, added consoles, added tips, condensed backstory down into spoiler, erected a sofa, planted seeds for world domination. Just check the last post for local deals.  

 
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Chronis said:
This thread is sad. I remember the good old days of Kmart's gaming greatness. I even have a Dead Rising 2 shirt from picking the game up at launch.

RIP in piece Josh. All the CAGs who shopped at Kmart and Amazon PC Digital misses you.
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I still have a couple of those shirts from the Dead Rising launch. As well as some of the Marvel vs Capcom 3 lithographs.

 
bgrngod said:
My best gaming find I've ever found at Kmart was when I walked into the one in my home town (while home from college) back in 2002 or so, and found 6 copies of Super Metroid on a low shelf marked at $10 each as if they'd just been taken out of the box.

Let that sink in for second.
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Wow. That's an amazing find.

Best I ever managed was to find a copy of Dragon Quest V on DS at retail price after it had been out of print for a while. I think it ended up getting a reprint at one point and now it doesn't even go for that much more than retail. Still it was nice to be able to find harder to find games like that back then.

 
Gosh I'll miss Kmart and all of the stores that smelled like cigarettes and AA meetings. I'll also miss my dozens of chats with customer service after not getting madden, watch dogs or any of my other orders until a month after release.
 
K-Mart was in town when I was born and we didn't get a Wal-Mart for quite a while later, so it was pretty much THE place--sad to see it go.  We lost the one on my side of town a few years ago, but I stopped in at the one on the opposite end to check out the game section.  The cabinets were mostly empty, but they had a few games on a regular shelf... mostly Just Dance and Michael Jackson. 

 
Seeing as how the shelves at my local KMart have been literally (not figuratively) empty since Black Friday?  I am Jack's utter lack of surprise.

Good hunting all, I know I'll be watching from the sidelines unfortunately.....  :(

 
No new markdowns at my Kmart. But since last week, they've gotten in 1 PS4 and 1 Xbone. Didn't get any systems in during the holiday season (just 1 Xbone and I think they had 1 Wii U that they sold) so it was weird to see them in today.

Mine did have a few Wii U games on clearance, I remember a Just Dance game for $10.
 
My local Kmart has been a wasteland for video games. The area is normally half empty, over priced, dirty, and unstaffed. No wonder Kmart is in the position to do this. 

 
I pretty much only buy digital these days, but it's gonna suck for everyone else in my town. K-mart is the only big box retailer here, so for everyone else that still wants to buy video games (outside of outlet stock at local Grocery stores), I guess they have no choice but to drive to the neighboring city now, or buy online.

 
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When I was a kid, my grandma used to live right by a Big Kmart and we'd go there to find certain toys and other products you could never find anywhere else. I remember there being a Caesar's Pizza at one end of the store too, with a couple freezie machines up in the front.

I went to this same Kmart two weeks back and nearly nothing had changed. The store layout was still exactly the same, and even had the same store "smell". The doors to get in and out barely worked though, the Caesar's Pizza was now gone and that half of the store was unlit, and there were sale tags everywhere. It felt more like I had stepped into Value Village or Bargain World than a retail store. Lots of sketchy types walking around inside and outside the store too. Of course, electronics had exactly nothing of note, though I did spot a couple VHS movies for kid's shows that were around even before my time. Pretty crazy stuff.

 
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When I was a little kid they didn't have an actual grocery section but oddly there was a deli up at the front.  That's where we always bought ham for sandwiches.  it was a strange time.

 
Checked out my nearest Kmart and the entire current game section, which contained about 15 games total two weeks ago, was gone.

They only had a ton of Wii games and the last Xbox 360 game is of course the damn Toy Story 3, which refuses to drop in price.

Still $19.99.

 
I still have Fallout coasters too. Think I have a sealed pre-order case somewhere... Wait wtf happened to my Fallout coasters?
 
I checked my local Kmart 2 weeks ago and the only games "on sale" were a handful of old shovelware DS games, which were around $5-10.

They do have some nice things in stock and some decent current gen games, but they all marked full price when scanned.


I might check again this weekend to see if anything's changed.

 
anything with a clearance tag for the most part will ring up out of system. make them scan it with a gun and most things will be crazy cheap. Picked up The amazing spiderman for $3.99, gears of war judgment day for $4, assassins creed 3 xbox 360 $1.99 these are just examples :) all picked up yesterday.

 
Anybody know how much Xbox 360 250gb are ringing up for? I saw two at my local store but couldn't see the entire box to see what bundle it was and didn't have time to wait for an employee to ring it up for me.

 
Since we are all telling personal experience K-Mart stories...

Austin hasn't had a Kmart in this city for years. At least 9, because I've lived here 9 years and they've been gone at least that long. Got sent to Oak Ridge, TN on business a couple years ago and they had a Kmart near the hotel so I went in there for kicks.

Stepping into that place felt like being magically transported back to the late 1990's. Nobody in the store, and all the decor was extremely dated and ridiculous. For example, the electronics section had a big picture of a pair of headphones and a "discman" cd player.

Finding an employee to assist was a task unto itself. The game cabinet was about half empty and nothing had prices on it at all, so you had to basically have the dude scan everything to tell you how much something cost. My memory on which games they actually had was foggy, but I guarantee there was no new releases. I remember thinking everything was straight shovelware.

I do have to admit though that there is a certain allure to walking into a Kmart in some other town you don't live in...Its like stepping into some consumer warp zone where you wouldn't be surprised to find a PS1 game still lingering on a table of junk at full price, or a rack of courduroy jeans or something long out of style still just ominously sitting there, daring you to buy them. Kmart is freaking nuts.
 
I'm enjoying reading everyone's Kmart memories on here.

My parents said the Kmart  in my hometown (Feasterville, PA) was there before any other stores were there: they remember shopping there when they were teenagers in the 70s.

I also remember during the 90s before they built a Walmart and Target closer to my house (there was a Walmart two towns over but we hardly ever went to Warminster) that we did all of our back to school shopping at Kmart.  I remember my older sister going there and Clover (a now defunct department store) for SNES games.  I used to ride my bike to Kmart and Blockbuster for N64 games.

My dad even won my 12th birthday party at the Kmart Cafe, which was sponsored by Mattel.  Everyone had a great time at that party (even though the Kmart Cafe manager was a total b**** about it).  What 11 and 12 years old boys wouldn't enjoy a Hot Wheels party thrown by Mattel itself?  Even the girls had fun!

RIP in Kmart.

 
During the pre-Christmas price slashing, I did a small drive to pick up some cheap games at a Kmart I hadn't been to before (Mt Pleasant, PA).  I was shocked to see that this store has a full service Kmart Restaurant still in operation.  I'm not talking about the Cafe, but the family restaurant.  Also not surprising is that it was full of geriatrics.

Another one I went to (can't remember where it was), the minute I walked through the door, I was hit with the stench of old piss.  I didn't stay in that store for more than 5 minutes before I had to leave.

 
I was just in the wasteland formerly known as the Kmart video games aisle, and they had maybe 20-30 games, nothing you couldn't get cheaper online.  Their pricing is a mess, for example Disney Infinity starter set for the PS3 was $20, $30 for 360, and appeared to be full price for the Wii U. Some games were marked on sale, and others appeared to have yellow clearance stickers on them. Almost all the accessories had yellow clearance stickers, but the prices were pretty similar to online. 

Anyway, an employee told me they are having a huge clearance starting the 8th. Can't remember when she said it ended, but let's hope it turns out to be true.

 
i picked up 2 games yesterday first one was lego marvel super heroes for the vita for 4 bucks and final fantasy xiii in the original clear case for 10 bucks which was really good since i dont like the greatest hits packaging lol

 
No deals to talk about, but an interesting Kmart story to add to the pile.  

Over a decade ago, when I was looking for a part-time retail job, I applied to both the local Kmart and Walmart.  Both called back, and I went with Kmart since they were closer.  Worked there for about two months when walking into work one day, I see a sign by the door saying "Store Closing".  Confirmed this with management, then called Walmart the very next day to see if they were still hiring.  Two weeks later, I left Kmart for Walmart, where I worked for far too long.

Did manage to get a copy of Dragon Warrior VII on PSX for $10 when they were clearancing stuff out

 
I work at Kmart still to this day and we just got a corporate Email regarding a sale starting next week (in my region anyways North-East) YMMV. Starting Monday All "CLEARANCE" Games and accessories will be an extra 20% off the yellow stickered price. Not a big jump, but one none-the-less. I'll try to keep up with this thread on any future drops regarding PS4, XBONE, and Wii U stuff as well.

Anyways... I picked up Skylanders Giants starter kit (3DS) yesterday for $12. A copy of Big Game Hunter 2012 (with Gun, PS3) for $5, And a copy of Halo 4 (360) for $6.

 
sp00ge said:
During the pre-Christmas price slashing, I did a small drive to pick up some cheap games at a Kmart I hadn't been to before (Mt Pleasant, PA). I was shocked to see that this store has a full service Kmart Restaurant still in operation. I'm not talking about the Cafe, but the family restaurant. Also not surprising is that it was full of geriatrics.
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Wow, I haven't seen one of those in 25+ years at least.

 
Just stopped at one of the few Kmarts still open that I'm aware of (Riverside, OH). I already anticipated few games but wanted to get Wolfenstien for Xbone. Oddly it was priced at $49 while the PS4 version was priced at $29. I'm bracing myself for more shenanigans at the next Kmart.
 
blank964 said:
Just stopped at one of the few Kmarts still open that I'm aware of (Riverside, OH). I already anticipated few games but wanted to get Wolfenstien for Xbone. Oddly it was priced at $49 while the PS4 version was priced at $29. I'm bracing myself for more shenanigans at the next Kmart.
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Why are you doing this? Goto Gamefly... Its like $15 shipped right now. Save the gas and leg work... And MONIES!!!!
 
Best deal I ever found at a Kmart was two copies of Final Fantasy I for the NES sealed for $4 each. This was at some point in the late 90's. I always imagined some storage clerk finding them in an old dusty box buried underneath other boxes and having no clue what they were. That and I still miss eating the Kmart pizza and mini donuts with some ICEE.

 
Check out the sports cards while you're at the K. It's unbelievable how old some of them are
 
Saw some games on sale at K-mart. Sale sticker placed directly on single copy of game for sale. Me never see them do this on games before, only movies.

 
So after my wife spoke to her manager, apparently he is going to let me have all 3 of the game display cases from the gaming section. Planning on going to pick them up. They're glass and 1 is blue & red with the Nintendo logo, 1 is WiiU, and the other is just plain. Really only have plans for the Nintendo one, going to put it in the RecRoom with my Retro games and consoles. Anyone have any ideas for the others? Thought about eBay, but they'd be a bitch to ship.
 
JoshTX said:
Since we are all telling personal experience K-Mart stories...

Austin hasn't had a Kmart in this city for years. At least 9, because I've lived here 9 years and they've been gone at least that long. Got sent to Oak Ridge, TN on business a couple years ago and they had a Kmart near the hotel so I went in there for kicks.

Stepping into that place felt like being magically transported back to the late 1990's. Nobody in the store, and all the decor was extremely dated and ridiculous. For example, the electronics section had a big picture of a pair of headphones and a "discman" cd player.

Finding an employee to assist was a task unto itself. The game cabinet was about half empty and nothing had prices on it at all, so you had to basically have the dude scan everything to tell you how much something cost. My memory on which games they actually had was foggy, but I guarantee there was no new releases. I remember thinking everything was straight shovelware.

I do have to admit though that there is a certain allure to walking into a Kmart in some other town you don't live in...Its like stepping into some consumer warp zone where you wouldn't be surprised to find a PS1 game still lingering on a table of junk at full price, or a rack of courduroy jeans or something long out of style still just ominously sitting there, daring you to buy them. Kmart is freaking nuts.
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i was at a Walmart recently in NJ and they had a HUGE bin of games. found several PS1,2 and OG Xbox games, including a sealed copy of Armed & Dangerous.

 
The Kmart by me closed a few weeks ago. That was actually kind of rough. I remember going to that same store with my dad to buy Super Mario Bros 2, and when SMB 3 first came out my mom somehow found it there (it was impossible to find anywhere for the first week or so). Bringing the instruction manual to school the next day made me king for a day.
 
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I was never a KMART person. Although my reminisce story was woolworths. They always had outdated games and LOVED going there. I played my NES well into the SNES cycles. The employee told my mom once that he believed I was the only one who asked him to open the game cases.

Oh well, my local kmart is down to only bin games (shovelware) and has been that way since BF.
 
My brother and I used to, and still do, go to the nearby Big Kmart to look for Star Wars action figures. One of the coolest memories from there is during the Cleveland Indians wonderful season in 1995, they painted a giant Chief Wahoo on one of the walls there, which is still there today. Pretty cool thing which added to the hype of that season.

I'm gonna run out there and see if any games are on sale.
 
Best pick I ever had was Final Fantasy XI Online for $10. Sold it for $100 a day later.

It was this one:

Fial-Fanatsy-XI-Online-Ultimate-Collection-Seekers-Edition-cover-360-USA.jpg


 
Bleedingwickedly said:
So after my wife spoke to her manager, apparently he is going to let me have all 3 of the game display cases from the gaming section. Planning on going to pick them up. They're glass and 1 is blue & red with the Nintendo logo, 1 is WiiU, and the other is just plain. Really only have plans for the Nintendo one, going to put it in the RecRoom with my Retro games and consoles. Anyone have any ideas for the others? Thought about eBay, but they'd be a bitch to ship.
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You could give them to local CAGs, seeing as that you got them for free.

 
Sgt Barone said:
My brother and I used to, and still do, go to the nearby Big Kmart to look for Star Wars action figures. One of the coolest memories from there is during the Cleveland Indians wonderful season in 1995, they painted a giant Chief Wahoo on one of the walls there, which is still there today. Pretty cool thing which added to the hype of that season.

I'm gonna run out there and see if any games are on sale.
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As a Braves fan, thank you for the only championship one of my teams has won in my lifetime. Also I'm a Cavs/Browns fan so...

 
Bleedingwickedly said:
So after my wife spoke to her manager, apparently he is going to let me have all 3 of the game display cases from the gaming section. Planning on going to pick them up. They're glass and 1 is blue & red with the Nintendo logo, 1 is WiiU, and the other is just plain. Really only have plans for the Nintendo one, going to put it in the RecRoom with my Retro games and consoles. Anyone have any ideas for the others? Thought about eBay, but they'd be a bitch to ship.
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I was supposed to get a GC display from my local store, but they "tossed it out". I'm glad someone somewhere was able to get them.

 
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